“…but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people.”

Leviticus warns against the high priest entering the Most Holy Place at any time he wanted to. To enter on any day but the day of atonement was to invite death. The Day of Atonement was to be observed on the tenth day of the seventh month. Before the high priest entered the tabernacle he had to take off his special robes and bathe. He then donned a white linen covering. It was necessary for him to offer a bull for his own personal sins and his household. The blood of the bull was taken into the Most Holy Place and offered on the altar. He then went back outside and chose a goat that was also killed and its blood was taken back into the Most Holy Place and offered for the rest of the people of Israel.

You may wonder why only unintentional sins are mentioned. What about the other sins, the intentional ones? There is no mentioned sin offering for intentional sins. However, several intentional sins are mentioned and a remedy is given where there is repentance. These were not included in the “sins of the people.”

Task for Today: Repentance is a good place to start where there is sin of any kind. The blood of a slain goat is not required. Our high priest did not have to go into heaven for Himself only for us. He offered His own blood, the blood of the lamb of God, at the mercy seat of God for the “sin” of the world.